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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — shares
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — in a road
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. row — a line
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. row — to paddle
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. swing — in golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com